Cold halts High Plains cotton

This morning was chilly across the Texas High Plains, with some weather stations in the Panhandle and northern counties reporting temperatures at or near freezing. Fall is in the air.

At Dimmitt, Texas, the mercury plunged to 28 degrees Fahrenheit according to National Weather Service reports, probably bringing to a halt any further development of cotton in that area.

The West Texas Mesonet station at Muleshoe, Texas, also indicated a low of 28 degrees in the early hours of this morning.

The temperature hovered around the freezing mark at numerous reporting points including Hereford, Tulia, and Friona.

However, forecasts over the next several days indicate a warming trend again. Lows in the high 50s will be the trend with high temperatures pushing 90 early next week.

Chances of thunderstorms this weekend and into the middle of next week are running at a 20-30 percent possibility of precipitation. Cotton farmers are keeping a wary eye out on the weather, as harvest preparations get into full swing the next couple of weeks.